Khaleda returns home from UK
She surrenders before court today
STAFF REPORTER
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday returned home after spending 94 days in London for the treatment of her eyes and knees.
On her arrival, she was given a rousing reception in front of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as thousands of party leaders and activists, carrying banners and festoons, received her by lining up on both sides of the road from the airport to the BananiKakoli intersection.
An Emirates Airlines flight carrying Khaleda landed at the airport at 5:07pm and she started for her Gulshan residence at 5:35pm.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with senior party leaders, received her at the airport, offering her bouquets of flower.
Leaders and activists were overwhelmed with emotion while receiving their leader, who returned home after more than three months. Thousands of party leaders and activists were seen standing beside the road from 3:30pm to 7:70pm, chanting different slogans.
Central leaders, including DR Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Lt Gen. (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Mirza Abbas, Jamir Uddin Sircar, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Abdullah Al Noman, among others, waited in front of the airports VIP gate to receive their leader.
The movement of vehicles on the airport road had come to a halt for about four hours, leaving commuters to suffer. It took over two hours for Khaleda, who herself was caught in a traffic jam at the airport intersection for about half an hour, to reach her Gulshan residence.
Talking to reporters, Moudud Ahmed alleged that the government had created artificial traffic congestion on the road in an effort to prevent party leaders and activists from reaching the airport. Despite that, the huge presence of people proved that they were determined to greet their leader upon her arrival, he said.
Moudud also said Khaleda Zia is not afraid of the arrest warrants that had been issued with a political motive.O ur leader is respectful to the law and she would go to the court and receive bail, he added.
There are four arrest warrants issued by courts in Dhaka and Comilla against the BNP chairperson.
Some leaders, including Rajshahi mayor Mosaddeque Hossain Bulu, carried banners describing Khaleda Zia as the Mother of Democracy.
Law enforcers took huge security measures to maintain law and order on the arrival of Khaleda.
Earlier, Khaleda left Heathrow International Airport at 2:50am (BST) where her elder son, granddaughters and son-in-laws saw her off.
Khaleda went to London on July 15 for treatment of her eyes and knees and stayed with her family members. She celebrated Eid-ul-Azha with her son, grandchildren and daughters-in-law.
During her stay in London, the former premier underwent surgeries on her eyes and knees.
Meanwhile, the BNP chief is set to surrender before a Dhaka special court today seeking bail in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case as it issued a warrant for her arrest, add UNB
Our chairperson will appear before the special court set up at the playground of Government Alia Madrasah in the capitals Bakshibazar on Thursday, said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He came up with the comment while talking to reporters in front of Khaledas Gulshan residence last night.
The BNP chief will start her journey from her residence for the court around 10am, said her media wing member Shamsuddin Didar.
